Orava Ethnographic Park – Zubrzyca Górna (Poland)

Zubrzyca Górna belonged to the Hungarian Orava Chair until the division of Orava in 1920–1924. Today, it is home to the most important folk culture museum on the Polish side of the region. The open-air museum was established around the original manor house of the local Šoltyske Moniak family, and gradually buildings transferred from the villages of Upper Orava were added to it.

What will you see?

The core of the area is a log cabin Moniak Manor, a well-preserved noble estate with period furnishings, including a "black room". Around it stand peasant cottages, a rectory and the White Tavern from Podwilk. You will also find technical buildings (an oil press, a waterwheel mill, a sawmill and a washboard), granaries, an apiary, a bell tower and a wooden church of Our Lady of the Snows. Behind the open-air museum, the massif of Babe Mountain rises.

Good to know

• From the Slovak Orava, through the Trstená – Chyżne border crossing to Jabłonka and from there along the DW957 road towards the Krowiarki Pass. The open-air museum is located right next to the road.
• Allow 1.5-2 hours for the tour. Interpretation is provided by a free mobile app.
• For an additional fee, you can rent an Orava traditional costume or a fireplace.
• The trip can be combined with the Krowiarki Pass and Baba Mountain.

Photo: Zontarlj (CC BY-SA 4.0), Zontarlj (CC BY-SA 4.0), Zontarlj (CC BY-SA 4.0), Zontarlj (CC BY-SA 4.0), Chained (CC BY-SA 3.0) – Wikimedia Commons